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The future is red dot optics, and the future is now. I’m sure if you come from a gun-toting family like I do, a few of your ancestors would be rolling in their graves seeing lever actions and 1911s topped with red dot optics. Fortunately, most guns are now manufactured as “optics ready” to let consumers choose whether to run iron sights or mount a red dot. And, of course, many allow for a red dot optic to co-witness with the stock iron sights. Win-Win!

Like anything else, red dot optics have pros and cons. The biggest flaw will always be that they’re electronic and rely on batteries. The most significant benefit to me as a competitive shooter, concealed carrier, and firearms instructor is that they provide quicker feedback to the shooter (and, therefore, to the instructor). Before condemning a red dot optic, you must understand its intended use. Some red dot optics are designed for carry, while others are tailored to competitive shooters. There’s a significant difference between open and closed emitters. There are also green dot optics for those who see green more quickly.

Let’s jump in and discuss the different red dot optics I recommend for carry and competition.

Red Dot Optics: Everyday Carry

Trijicon RMR Type 2

One of the most tested and durable carry optics on the market today is the Trijicon RMR. The RMR footprint is what many manufacturers choose to design their optics around, as this optic made the footprint famous. The RMR is available in a 1 MOA dot, 3.25 MOA dot, or 6.5 MOA dot configuration. There are six daylight brightness settings and two night-vision compatible ones. Similar to the SRO, the RMR has a lock-out mode, so it functions only in automatic mode. If you use manual mode, it will remain in this mode for 16.5 hours following the last push of a button before defaulting to automatic. The CR2032 battery mounts underneath the optic and will last over four years with continuous use at setting four. Temperatures can affect battery longevity.

• MSRP: $742
• Footprint: RMR
• Battery: CR2032

Holosun EPS Carry

The EPS Carry red dot is an enclosed emitter optic designed for subcompact, narrow handguns. It includes a built-in rear notch sight and uses the Holosun K footprint, which can adapt to RMSc with an adapter plate. Numerous reticle options exist for both green and red variants—2 MOA dot, 6 MOA dot, 2 MOA dot, and a 32 MOA circle. A CR1620 battery powers it and lasts up to 50,000 hours. The battery compartment is on the side and uses a small flathead to loosen. It also uses Shake Awake Technology, similar to the 507Comp.

• MSRP: $388 + depending on reticle selection
• Footprint: Holosun K
• Battery: 1620

EOTech EFLX

Like Trijicon, EOTech has a reputation for making rugged and durable optics. The EoTech EFLX is a mini red dot sight available in a 3 MOA dot or 6 MOA dot configuration. The arrows on the side of this optic are by far the easiest to push and the most “foolproof” design to guarantee users know which button to press. The CR2032 is top-loaded for easy change out and lasts 20,000-25,000 hours, depending on the MOA dot size. It has eight daylight settings and one night vision setting. The EFLX uses the DeltaPoint Pro footprint. This red dot optic also qualifies for the competition category. The window size isn’t super small though it isn’t designed to be large and for competition.

• MSRP: $389
• Footprint: Delta Point Pro
• Battery: CR2032

Meprolight MPO Pro-F

Meprolight recently upgraded their line of red dot optics, and I have tested the PRO-F model on a few guns. This is a closed-emitter pistol sight built on the RMR footprint. It has a 3 MOA dot with a 33 MOA ring that you can run in combination or singularly. There are both manual and automatic brightness adjustments. It uses a CR1632 battery for 20,000+ hours of battery life. There are ten daylight settings and two night vision settings. The battery compartment is on the side and requires a small flathead to swap out.

• MSRP: $319.99
• Footprint: RMR
• Battery: CR1632

ZeroTech Thrive HD Red Dot Optic

Another optic that could swing both ways for competition or carry is the Thrive HD from ZeroTech Optics. It has a multi-reticle system, including a 3 MOA dot, a 40 MOA circle with a 3 MOA center dot, and a 40 MOA circle. It is CR2032 battery-powered, with a battery life of 50,000 hours. There are 11 brightness settings, an auto sleep and wake mode, and the battery compartment is on the side. It ships with a dual bolt low-height base for Picatinny rails but is compatible with the RMR/SRO footprint.

• MSRP: $399
• Footprint: RMR
• Battery: CR2032

Red Dot Optics: Competition

Holosun 507Comp

The Holosun 507Comp revolutionized competition red dot optics. It has a multi-reticle system with four components—a precision 2 MOA dot, an 8 MOA circle, a 20 MOA circle, and a 32 MOA circle. You can choose to run a combination of components or a singular one. It has up to 50,000 hours of battery life. The optic window is massive. It’s comparable in size to the Trijicon SRO but more square. It uses the popular SRO/RMR footprint, with six daylight and two night vision compatible settings. The CR1632 battery compartment is on the side, and you need a tiny flathead to remove it. The 507Comp also has Holosun’s well-known Shake Awake technology that turns off the optic when not in use to save battery life.

• MSRP: $435 (Also available in green for $470)
• Footprint: RMR
• Battery: CR1632

Trijicon SRO

The Trijicon SRO is a popular competition red dot optic. It runs off a top-loading CR2032 battery and has a three-year battery life. It comes in a 1 MOA dot, a 2.5 MOA dot, or a 5 MOA dot. Of course, it uses the RMR/SRO footprint. There are eight brightness settings and two night vision modes. A button lock-out mode secures the auto-brightness feature, so your dot is always on (a good option for hunting or EDC). Similarly, a button lock-in mode locks in the user’s chosen brightness setting, ideal for competition and target shooting.

• MSRP: $783
• Footprint: RMR
• Battery: CR2032

C&H Comp

Next in line in terms of window size is the C&H Comp red dot optic. C&H is also a manufacturer of optic plates, so buying their optic and bundling with a compatible optic plate makes setting up your gun super easy. The Comp uses the RMR/SRO footprint and is available in red or green dot versions. C&H makes a 3 MOA dot version and a 36 MOA circle in the multi-reticle version. This optic has ten levels of brightness, two of which are compatible with night vision. It also features motion control, where the optic will auto-shut off after five minutes of inactivity. It uses a CR1632 and has 50,000 hours of battery life.

• MSRP: $299.95 + for different versions
• Footprint: RMR
• Battery: CR1632

Aimpoint ACRO P-2

First, the ACRO series of pistol sights was the first to offer a fully enclosed optical channel to protect the LED emitter. Aimpoint is known for its ruggedness and durability in various environments and through dramatic temperature swings. I know many competitive shooters who use this for sport, but it can swing both ways and fall into the carry category. It has a 3.5 MOA dot with four night vision compatible settings and six daylight settings. It runs off a CR2032 battery and offers 50,000 hours of constant operation. Aimpoint is intentional about making compatible optic mounts for pistols and mounting the ACRO to carbines.

• MSRP: $599
• Footprint: Aimpoint ACRO
• Battery: CR2032

DeltaPoint Pro Red Dot Optic

The DeltaPoint Pro (DPP) optic has been around for a long time and has been proven by some of the top shooters in the world. It has a 2.5 MOA dot and runs off a CR2032 battery, which, depending on the brightness level, has 300-1600 hours of battery life. The battery compartment is on top and requires no tools to replace. This optic uses Motion Sensor Technology to extend battery life by deactivating illuminated reticles after five minutes of inactivity. Once movement is detected, it reactivates the dot. Leupold designed their own footprint for the DPP, so some manufacturers have designed optics around the DeltaPoint Pro footprint.

• MSRP: $449.99
• Footprint: Delta Point Pro
• Battery: CR2032

Pros: Red Dot Optics

1. Excellent Training Tool

A red dot optic provides easily-digested feedback to the shooter to understand what you might be doing wrong (or right). Iron sights tell you the same thing, but when the front sight moves, it can be harder to track which way it shifted. Most new shooters do several things wrong that they might not feel themselves doing physically. With a red dot optic, they can visually see where the dot moves when they pull the trigger, giving them feedback to diagnose the issue. 

For example, a shooter anticipating recoil will drive the muzzle down when they pull the trigger to counter the reaction. Of course, the only thing that does is throw the shot low. Visually, when this happens, a shooter can see the red dot jerk downward and disappear from the window when they pull the trigger. They can relay that information to someone trying to teach them and understand what they’re seeing, and they can also self-diagnose the error. The only way someone improves at shooting is by understanding what they’re doing wrong so they can improve. New shooters (or even veteran shooters) who can’t track a front sight and have no information to relay to an instructor or themselves will never know how to improve.

2. Target Focus

People have told me to be front-sight-focused my entire life—until I started shooting with a red dot optic and competing at a higher level. As soon as I could naturally aim with a dot and track what was happening with the dot in recoil, I focused less on it and more on my targets. I learned to shoot with both eyes open like I’ve never done before, and I started calling my shots, knowing where the bullet would leave a mark without ever looking at the target. 

In the last few years, I’ve taken shooting classes with professional shooters, national champions, and even world champions in various shooting sports. They all say the same thing—be target-focused. But what does that mean?

What Does That Mean In Practice?

Take a break to look at a door handle in your house. What else is in focus? Find a coffee mug and focus on it. Can you clearly see the tile or carpet on your floor while focusing on your mug? No. Humans can only focus on one thing while the rest is blurry in our periphery. 

In shooting, you’ll experience the same thing. Your eyes can only focus on one thing at a time, and you must decide what that is. It’s more straightforward to focus on your target and see a red dot optic or multi-reticle in your peripheral than to focus on your red dot and see the exact spot or zone you want to impact on a target. 

Your goal should be to focus on the best-scoring location on a target, and as your red dot comes across this area, pull the trigger. This is how you become target-focused. By the way, you should shoot with both eyes open and be target-focused with iron sights, but it’s more challenging for the average person who doesn’t dedicate time to regular dry fire and live fire practice.

If you remember nothing else, remember this: Your eyes should lead, and the gun should follow. The best shooters in the world know exactly where to shift their focus to lead their gun or their body. 

The eyes lead every target transition or position change. The gun naturally follows when they move positions and focus from one target to the next. You can get to this level with enough time and practice on the range and at home with dry fire.

3. Reticle Options, Window Size, & Color

The first pro of red dot optics is that dozens of optic manufacturers have multiple offerings, making them available in different colors and reticle variations. Window sizes vary from micro red dot optics to fit micro-compact carry guns to large, competition-sized optics for full-size handguns. 

Without doing a lot of math, red dot optics come in a range of sizes and typically measure in minutes of angle (MOA). The larger the dot, the more of a target it can cover. For example, a 1MOA dot covers one inch at 100 yards, whereas a 6MOA dot covers six inches. Smaller dots are more precise but more challenging to see, especially in bright light. 

There are now red dot optics, such as the Holosun 507Comp, that feature a multi-reticle system. The end user can change the reticle to feature a singular MOA dot one, a specific MOA-sized circle reticle, or a combination of the two. Depending on the purpose (especially various shooting sports), the multi-reticle combination can allow the shooter to make more precise shots when needed or pick up their point of aim faster.

One size doesn’t fit all when it comes to red dot optics, and it doesn’t have to. The optic should suit the purpose, be compatible with the handgun of choice, and be visible to the shooter. That’s all there is to it.

Cons: Red Dot Optics

1. Rain…Weather & Humidity

Rain and red dot optics can be a pain. Open and closed emitters can also factor in red dot optic choice. Shooting in the rain is a lot easier with iron sights. They don’t smudge, they don’t produce multiple sights, and they don’t malfunction due to water. 

Because not all red dot optics are the same, how water affects each one can differ. Some glass is better than others and won’t create multiple “dots” when wet. Others can make it look like you have astigmatism. Battery compartments underneath the optic without a watertight seal, especially when directly mounted to the slide, can lead to battery corrosion. Water of any kind is the enemy. 

2. Batteries – Availability, Compartment, & Longevity

I mentioned battery life early because the biggest con is that most red dot optics depend on a battery. Once the battery dies, the sight is useless. Battery life these days (depending on how much drain the optic pulls) is much more impressive than in years past. Manufacturers have begun to make optics that can charge based on solar light or have solar power as a backup when the battery dies. 

Some optics now have a feature where the dot is on after detecting motion and shuts off after a set time of inactivity. This preserves the battery life, but it also depends on the quality of the product and how often you use it. A red dot optic on a daily carry gun will constantly be in motion and never “off,” so this battery will drain quicker than one mounted on a home defense pistol that sits idle.

Battery Locations

Within this con of batteries, there is a “sub” pro and con. This is the location of the battery compartment and the steps or tools you need to replace it. Personal preference makes this even more convoluted. You can store a battery under an optic directly mounted to a slide for a low profile, but at the cost of removing the entire red dot when it’s time to replace the battery. 

Some optics have a battery compartment on top that unscrews with a Philips screwdriver—or a coin in a pinch. Other optics have side compartments, usually for smaller batteries, that either pull out with a flathead or other prying device or require a tiny Torx tool.

Finally, the availability and price of batteries are something to consider when purchasing a red dot optic. Some batteries, like the CR2032, you can buy in bulk, but not the smaller and less common ones.

3. Losing Zero

Red dot optics lose zero for a variety of reasons. The person installing the optic might have used the incorrect set screw length, not tightened them down to the recommended torque specification, or forgot to Loctite the set screws when installing the dot. Some red dot optics lose zero when you remove them from the slide, which is a big downside to replacing a battery that requires removing the optic. 

Again, the optic quality certainly matters for how much abuse (aka felt recoil) it can take before the zero shifts. It is a good idea to check zero before a competition or regularly with your carry gun every couple of months.

Red Dot Optics: Open VS Closed Emitter

Red dot optics have either an open or closed emitter. The most popular red dot optics use an open emitter, which projects the dot onto the glass of the optic. This means you can lose it from rain, sweat, or dirt getting into the emitter and blocking it. Cleaning this out is crucial to project the sight correctly. Closed emitters prevent debris from blocking it because the emitter is within the optic.

Back-Up Iron Sights?

This is a personal choice and can also depend entirely on the slide’s optic cut or available optic plates. Some pistols only have room for the red dot optic, not an additional rear sight. Some optics will not co-witness because the rear sight built into the optic plate is not high enough. If you can run back up iron sights and want to, go for it. If you can and don’t want to, that’s your choice also.

As a competitive shooter and someone whose carry gun doesn’t have room for a rear sight, I don’t train with backup iron sights. If my dot fails, I must rely on a natural point of aim. My competition pistols don’t have rear sights, and I’ve gone so far as to remove the front sight altogether. The less distraction I have through my optic window, the better.

Red Dot Optics: Does Footprint Matter?

Optic footprints cause a lot of commotion online, and it can be a headache to decipher which optic plate is compatible with which gun. Guns that directly mount a red dot optic are usually limited to one footprint. Handguns that use an optic plate system either have to manufacture their own optic plates or trust an aftermarket company to make them. Optic plates can also add height to your sight, whereas a direct mount will give you a lower profile. This will matter when choosing a handgun that easily conceals with an optic.

Some handguns, mostly micro-compact pistols, are only compatible with the RMSc Shield footprint. These guns are usually direct-mount capable only, while a few might require an optic plate. When you get into the custom firearm market, you typically have to pick an optic footprint with the gun purchase, and if you change to a different one in the future, the gun may have to go back to the builder.

So, the short version is that you need to know what gun you want to mount an optic to and whether it has a specific direct mount footprint or requires an optic plate. If it does, make sure someone makes the plate compatible with the firearm and the optic you want to mount.

Hopefully, you now know more about the pros and cons of red dot optics and the considerations for choosing the best one for you. I’ve separated my recommendations for red dot optics into two categories: competition and everyday carry.

If you’re in the market for a larger red dot optic, check out our in-depth review of the Holosun 507Comp.

Kenzie Fitzpatrick is a competitive shooter, firearms instructor, published writer in the industry, and the host of the Reticle Up podcast.